Regrets
by Attack on MLG
Summary: When a peaceful car journey is interrupted by David picking up a hitchhiker, Gwen immediately becomes suspicious of the stranger's intentions towards a certain child asleep next to them. Unfortunately for her, it appears she should've gone with with her gut… Contains dark themes: violence/sexual violence/mild gory description/panic attacks/trauma/anxiety. Read review
1. Suspicions

Gwen peered over her shoulder to the backseats of the 'Camp Mobile', lips pursed into a small smile as her gaze rested on the ten year old curled up awkwardly against the window. Max was knocked out cold as he snored softly, lips parted as a thin line of drool poked out from the corner of his mouth.

Quietly she turned to face driver; David's optimistic expression focused on the highway. "How much longer, again?"

"About thirty minutes!" He chimed, beaming brightly despite their dark and cold surroundings. Gwen nodded and looked back at her phone which rested on her lap, before taking it in her hands and taping onto one of her pointless games she kept for boring times like this.

A few minutes past before the brunette looked up from her phone and over to David, left brow raised in confusion. The car was slowing down. "David, what are y—" Before she could ask, however, the redhead had already rolled down his window and stuck out his head.

"Hello there, friend! Where are you headed?"

" _David._ "

"Yeah, hop right in! Don't mind Max in the back, he won't bother you!"

"Don't worry! Y-You sit in the passenger's seat!" Gwen stammered as she began to unlock her seatbelt in somewhat of a hurry. She hesitated as the stranger ignored her and slid into the backseat, making sure the leave the middle seat clear for personal space. Uncomfortably she readjusted he seatbelt and sat up more straight, eyeing the new person out the corner of her eye.

The man appeared to be in his late thirties/mid fourties. He was quite tall with broad shoulders and a generally lanky form, with a grey hoodie and navy denim jeans. His voice was low and stuttery, sending Gwen red flags as David began to drive again. Deciding that she could just be jumping to conclusions, she forced herself into David and the man's small talk.

The man's name was Craig.

Occasionally Max would stir in his sleep, alerting the attention of Gwen as she stared at him through the rear view mirror, making sure that the older guy wasn't disturbing him.

"Ugh…" David uttered to himself, squinting at a passing sign that directed to a service station mile or so away. Sighing, he apologized to the hitchhiker. "Is it alright if we stop for some gas? Silly me forgot to fill it up later time!"

"No problem. I need to take a leak anyways." Craig chuckled lightly, smiling in a way that made Gwen want to gag. She was growing more and more tired, hoping to get some peace and quiet when they made the upcoming stop. It wasn't long before her silent prayers were answered and they pulled in the the station, Craig exiting the car quietly and walking into the shop, before David jumped out the car and slammed the door a bit to loudly, waking Max up with an irritated groan.

The short boy rubbed his eyes, adjusting his position more comfortably. "Ugh! Wh… Are we still in the fucking car…?"

"Yup."

"I swear we should be back by now…" He yawned and stretched his arms above his head in an effort to wake himself up more. "I could really do with a redbull." This earned him a snort from his superior.

"You can't live off of junk, Max. You'll get chubby."

Max lifted up his hoodie and shirt, showing Gwen his stomach. "Does this look chubby to you?"

"Well~"

"Whatever, I need a piss." And with that he shuffled out the car and hurried inside, clearly not realising how cold it was.

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

Quickly her head snapped up as David tapped his knuckles sharply on the window, signaling to Gwen if she wanted anything from the shop. After being instructed to grab some redbulls and Hershey's bars, the cheerful man made his way calmly into the shop, just ask Gwen felt herself go into a much needed sleep.


	2. Innocence

**Okay, so, uh, Max and David might seem a bit OCC in this chapter? I mean, like, I don't blame them though…**

 **Involves angsty Max and 'hero' David. Please review!**

* * *

The sound of a door closing woke Gwen from her slumber, shortly followed by the soft nudge of an elbow digging into her side.

"I got cookies and cream, if that's okay?" David muttered, gesturing to the hand of chocolate bars sat on the dashboard. He handed her a can of redbull and frowned. "Drinking that stuff isn't good for you, Gwen. I'm not fond of your bad habits."

"Speaking of bad habits," She took a long sip of his drink, staring forwards into the lit up shop. "Did you see Craig in there?"

David glanced at her, his expression switching from cheerful to one of confusion, brows narrowed as he spoke much slower. "Now that you mention it… no, no I didn't. He must still be in there."

Gwen swallowed thickly as her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach, despite the quickening pace of the heavy thumps. "Max is in there." She muttered, hands finding their way to the sides of her head as she dug her fingers into her hair. She felt herself being to shake as her vision became blurred with tears. "David, Max is in there!"

David, still in shock from his friends sudden outburst, clumsily fled from the car and back into the shop – Gwen's sobs and panicked breaths audible from outside the vehicle. In a fast hurry he found the Male Toilets and raced inside, now choosing to be more stealthy with his actions.

How could he be so irresponsible?

"Craig?" He decided to address the hitchhiker first; he wasn't sure why, but he thought it would be the safest option. "We're ready to go! You've been in here quite a while, are you alright?"

" _Yes_." The familiar voice replied, rather firmly. " _Everything's fine, David-_ "

"Have you seen Max?" David wondered, not wanting to seem too eager. As he spoke he crouched down on the floor, crawling the small distance to peer under each door in hopes of seeing a pair of shoes in different stalls. He became more concerned when he only saw Craig in the end stall, with Max no where to be seen.

" _Did he come in? I didn't notice._ "

"Yeah, yeah he did." He dusted himself off and stepped closer to the stall, wanting his feet to be visible from the inside. A moment paused before Craig spoke again… this time in an unsettling whisper, as if he was worried anyone else was in earshot.

" _How… eh… how old was the kid again?_ "

David tensed uncomfortably at the question. His mind already becoming swamped with sickening ideas and thoughts of what Max's situation was. "He's ten."

What came next was indescribable on David's behalf. A low, extremely sadistic chuckle or whatever came from the man, only purring the word. " _Heh~_ " As the toilets fell silent the redhead dug his hand into his back pocket and pulled out his switch blade, not flicking the blade, though. Carefully he moved his head closer to the door with his ear pressing lightly against it.

Rapid, muffled pants could be heard from the other side of the door, the occasional grunt of discomfort also in earshot.

Wanting to throw up at the sheer realisation of what could be happening less than ten feet in front of him, David took a hasty step back as he changed his tone. "We need to leave. We have somewhere to be and so do you. If you don't come out then we'll have to leave without you."

" _Don't worry. I'll be able to find my way back home. Thanks, David._ "

"Really? Well, okay then, if you say so!" PHe returned to his usual, perky self as he walked towards the Toilet's entrance and opened the door, before letting it close by itself not to cause any suspicion. Knowing that his plan would fail if he moved about, he quietly leant against the closest wall and waited. He knew Max was in there with that man, and he knew that he had no idea if that man had any weapons on him.

A sharp gasp alerted David's attention to the end stall. He could hear shuffling and other noises that he couldn't really distinguish, so he took this as a good time to return to the end stall, making sure not to make any noticeable sounds that could make the situation anymore worse.

It was clear that Craig had his hand over the child's mouth, the constantly muffled screams and cries making the redhead question whether this was actually Max; the raven was always so stubborn and quiet – it sounded so foreign to him. Nevertheless, with blade in hand, David knocked loudly on the stall's door.

" _Davi–_ "

"Max?! Max, hang on! I'm gonna get you out!"

Craig began a viscous cycle of swears and threats as David shoved himself back and forth against the locked door, the panicked groans and sobs driving him reluctantly insane.

Without even thinking David got to the ground and slid his arm under the door, slitting whatever was closest, before jumping right back up again. Craig let out an annoyed yell as he stumbled down and on to his knees in front of the toilet, not aware that David was in the stall next him.

He stood awkwardly on the toilet seat as he peered into the chaotic stall, swallowing down his instant regret. Not wanting to waste any time he reached over for Max, who was attempting to climb over the stall's wall as well. Quickly he grabbed the raven's hands and hauled him up, not expecting for Craig to grab one of Max's feet and begin pulling him down. He let out a frightened gasp as he was suddenly tugged back into the stall, the man now painfully clamping his hands on each side of his waist.

Max growled desperately as he tried to crawl away and off the toilet seat, not liking how close this man was getting to his face.

The redhead felt sick as he tried to think of a new plan, the panicked yelps from his most manipulative camper not helping at all. He felt like he was going to pass out.

" _Stop being such a fuckin tease, you sweet little fuck!_ "

David took a second glance at his blade as he leant further into the other stall. "Arhh!" He yelled as he drove the knife into Craig's left shoulder, ripping it back out instantly as the large man collapsed on the ground. Max panted breathlessly as he backed himself up against the tank and pulled his knees to his chest.

"Max… Max we need to leave…" He didn't know what to say. The raven was visibly shaking, and clearly in a lot of distress. "Max, please. You need to get out of here."

"He… He wanted-he wanted to–" Max whimpered as more tears fell from his eyes and onto his knees. "I tried pushing h-him away b-b-but–"

David swallowed thickly as he stepped off the toilet seat and round to Max's stall, before asking him to open it. He listened as the door clicked open and Max squeezed himself through the small gap and immediately into his arms. Instantly he broke down in a fit of tears and hoarse screams, holding onto the elder for dear life.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," He assured quickly, hugging him close. "I'm here, I'm here, Max, calm down its okay."

This was not okay.


	3. Guilty

The sound of doors slamming frightened Gwen as she looked up from her empty chocolate wrapper, shortly followed by the sudden jolt of David dangerously reversing and speeding off down the highway.

Instantly she turned and looked at Max. He was trembling as tears streamed down his face, stinging the now noticeable cuts on his cheeks. His hoodie was creased and torn at, as well as his awkwardly pulled up jeans.

"David?! What happened?!" She screamed hoarsely, panicking Max as he began wailing again. "DAVID HE'S COVERED IN BLOOD! DAVID SPEAK TO ME!"

Gwen felt herself tear up as she faced the road ahead and tried to block out the child's sobs, silently praying for David to assure her that this wasn't all her fault.

"I'll explain later! Just shut up, Gwen! You're not helping!"

It wasn't long before the car pulled into another, more closer to civilisation, service station. Without a single word David exited the car and walked into the shop, not bothering to ask if Gwen wanted anything.

She inhaled deeply and ran her hands through her hair, her entire body shaking as she sniffed. "W-We're gonna take you to the hospital… okay Max?"

Max stared at her with the most miserably wide eyes she'd ever seen. He looked like he was going to start crying again, hopefully with not as much intensity as before… but she couldn't blame him…

He whimpered, looking at himself in somewhat disgust. His face scrunched up uncomfortably as he took off his hoodie, the colour draining from his face as his lip trembled.

"Max." Gwen chocked out, offering him a weak, yet assuring smile. "Don't panic yourself… please." She reached over and handed him a Hershey's bar, nodding as he gave her a questioning glance. He was so broken. The usual, mischievous glint in his eyes were no where to be seen, not to mention the unnatural shakiness of his movements and actions.

She watched as he bit the chocolate slowly and carefully, the bar held tightly in his grip. It wasn't long before David returned to the car, taking a moment to process everything before actually speaking.

"You should get some rest, Max." He stated, not a single ounce of optimism in his voice. "Gwen, you can sit in the back with Max if you want."

Gwen felt like he had just read her mind as she shuffled into the backseats with Max, the small child leaning into her comfortably. She awkwardly clicked on her seatbelt, as well as Max's, and hugged him close. The ride continued as the atmosphere calmed to a certain extent, with Max occasionally groaning from his head aches.

"You're doing really well, Max." David assured firmly. "You're being very brave."

The raven responded with a pained sigh as his eyes closed tightly and he gritted his teeth. Gwen wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, sighing tiredly as she shook her head lightly. He was shaking.

"Don't worry, Max… You don't have to act tough…" She paused. "Especially considering what's happened."

David hummed in agreement, seeming to be cheering up a bit. About time. "Yes, Gwen is correct. No matter how stubborn you are, it is vital that you handle this properly. You nearly lost your innocence–"

" ** _David._** " Gwen interjected harshly, glaring at him through he rear view mirror.

"–to a random stranger." He continued, brows narrowed a his lips pursed into a frown. "Remind us never to let you, let alone any child, go into public bathrooms unsupervised. Oh gosh, what will the other Campers say?"

"Nothing. They will say nothing, David. Quit ranting and shut your trap." Her tone was bitter as she snapped back, causing David to flinch in his seat. Max was beginning to cry again, burying his face into Gwen's shirt. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't've picked up the fucking creep! Thanks to your dodgy decisions, an innocent and defenceless child – who we're responsible for, might I remind you – was minutes away from having an old man destroying him!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she proceeded, her heavy breaths and racing heartbeat almost in sync with Max's. "You… You were so happy to be doing a good deed…*sniff*…I guess you were the lucky one…"

"I think I killed him…Gwen…"

 _Silence_.

"Wh…What?" She watched as a tear rolled down his cheek, quickly followed by two more.

David swallowed thickly. "I stabbed him in the shoulder… He collapsed, so I took Max and ran… That's why his covered in it."

"He's covered in a dead man's blood…?" Her gaze flickered over the small boy, happy to realise he was asleep, before finding its way onto the steering wheel. His right hand was sticky with the drying splatters, the once pale fingertips fully stained. "You didn't get hurt, did you, David?"

"No, not physically. Emotionally? Yes." He hesitated, inhaling a much needed breath. "I always try my best to keep the Campers safe and happy and entertained, I really do, but I can never– I can _never_ please Max. It annoys me how he treats me like crap, how he always has to say a cocky remark about something that's not even that important! The worst part is that he's my favourite kid, not Nikki, not Preston, not anyone. It's always been Max and it's gonna stay like that. No matter how much I try to get on his good side he is more than ready to push me away!" His voice was hoarse as he choked into a fist, eyes stinging and bloodshot. "It pains me to see him like this, Gwen! It's tearing me apart and it's all my fucking fault!"


	4. Blame

"I… I'll go make sure QM hasn't lost all the campers…" Gwen muttered tiredly as she clicked off her seatbelt and exited the car, not looking back as she walked down the pathway.

 _Silence._

David watched Max through the rear view mirror with saddened eyes. He hesitated before speaking. "You should get to bed, we're all exhausted."

"I…" Max chewed his lip anxiously, avoiding the councilor's stare. "Okay…"

Pursing his lips together and nodding firmly, David stepped out the car and round to meet the raven on the other side. Max was already walking away from the vehicle. He sighed, locked the car, and began a quick stroll to catch up to him. "Hey… don't worry… You're safe now-"

" _Now_. Not back there." He spat, inhaling a shaky breath as he shivered at the memory. "'bout time karma gave me what I deserve."

David's eyes widened significantly as he suddenly took a firm hold on the child's shoulder, halting him almost instantly. Max let out a small cry of both pain and irritation as he was forced to meet the elder's gaze. "Shut up, Max. Stop blaming yourself for this!"

"You told me to always tell the truth."

"And now I'm telling you to quit pressuring yourself." The redhead demanded rather threateningly as Max rolled his eyes. Harshly he tugged himself away from him and continued walking, this time a lot quicker, as if in a desperate, yet civilised, effort to get away. David felt his eyes begin to sting again as he watched the raven's poor attempt to run off.

He was limping.

" _What did that guy do to him…?_ " He muttered. He hesitated before once again catching up with the ten year old. "Speak to me, Max. Listen… I know that you didn't want to go to the hospital because of your parents getting involved – I can understand that! – but if you want Gwen to fix you up then you're going to have to work with me-"

"It fucking kills, David!" Max abruptly yelled, taking the councilor by surprise. "It fucking kills…" He sniffed, looking down at the ground as he slowed his pace. "My wrists hurt… and I'm pretty sure my legs aren't supposed to do what he forced them to d-do…"

"Max…"

"W-When you weren't there… it was horrible. First thing I'm washing my hands… a-and the next… he's got one hand over my mouth and the other down my-my-"

"Oh, Max…" David trembled and he pulled him into his embrace, Max shaking like a leaf as he let the tears fall.

"I can't t-take it— I'm gonna k-kill myself, D-David! I'm gonna-" Max whimpered as he tried to catch his breath, the storm of emotions proving too much for him to handle. "I-I'm so fucking weak!" David, now pretty much suffocating the poor child in his arms, rested his head protectively on top of Max's head, the uncontrollable flow of tears wetting the boy's hair.

* * *

"David…?" Gwen sniffed as she looked up from her desk, her bloodshot eyes flickering over him. Max was cradled in his arms, his head resting against David's chest as he fidgeted in his sleep uncomfortably.

David's lip trembled as he tried to keep his composure, not wanting to wake up any of the other campers. "I-I don't think I got there i-in time."

The brunette stared at him questioningly as she straighted her posture. "What are you talking about?"

"Max… He kept going on about how his legs h-hurt and that he felt like he was going to p-p-pass out!-"

"David, calm down!" Gwen hissed. "Y-You're jumping to conclusions, David. Stop panicking yourself-"

"But I can't stop! He's like a son to me and I've just let him get rap—"

" _Don't say that!_ "

David shook his head angrily as he marched over to the bed and laid Max on it, before clumsily tucking him in with shaky hands. In a fit of tears he sat opposite Gwen at the edge of the bed with her head in his palms as he shook violently. Gwen inhaled nervously as she stood up from her chair and made her way over to a small box in the corner of her cabin.

"Y-You might want some of these…" She murmured, pills in hand as she returned back to the seat. She handed him a random glass of water as she took hold of her redbull, quickly downing her own drugs just as her friend copied moments later.

Anxiously she placed her hand on David's shoulder, offering a somewhat comforting smile. "Everything's gonna be okay, David… You just have to give your emotions some time to calm down… t-that's all…-"

"And what if it's not. What do we do then." He muttered lowly, staring down at his blood stained hands as they rested on lap. "What does _Max_ do?"

Gwen's eyes widened at the dark question, unsure whether it was rhetorical. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but unfortunately she couldn't find the words.

"I… I don't actually know…"


	5. Truth

"What did I tell you?" Neil faced away from the wooden stall as he tutted disapprovingly. Max panted breathlessly as he continued to hurl into the toilet bowl, his small hands gripping tightly on the sides of the bowl to point where his knuckles were turning white.

"Sh-Shut up!-" He yelled angrily just before throwing himself forwards again. The brunet gagged into his fist at the unpleasant sounds and closed his eyes impatiently.

Sighing, he tried to reason with the ill boy. "Getting back late isn't a good excuse for chugging all the coffee." He chanced a quick glance over Max's shoulder. "Jesus Christ-"

Max scoffed cockily as he sat back from the toilet and on the ground, wiping his mouth harshly with his sleeve. "Hm, y-yeah, it's really appetising isn't it? God, I love a good bit of vom-vomit on my pancakes!"

Neil stared down at him with nothing less than irritation. "You do realisell that you can actually overdose from drinking too much coffee, right?"

"Oh wow. Now _that's_ assuring." The short boy smirked up at him as he reached out and wiped his hand down leg. Neil gasped loudly and kicked away Max's hand more painfully than expected, causing the raven to yelp angrily. "What the fuck?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Max held his hand to his chest protectively, still baffled by how much it hurt. Now sitting down in front of his friend, Neil tried grabbing hold of the injured limb. "L-Let me see it! It's probably just-!" He suddenly pulled up Max's sleeve just as the small boy yanked back his arm in a sudden panic, eyes wide as they met each others stare.

Neil blinked as he took a second glance at his wrists.

"Oh my god… Max… these bruises-"

"N-Nothing happened. I just fell over…"

The brunet swallowed thickly as he carefully examined the heavily bruised wrist, Max having given up on hiding it. "No… No you didn't…" He muttered as his head shook slowly. "No… these- the way they're formed… A person's done this, haven't they, Max?"

Max nodded reluctantly as he sniffed back his tears. "I don't wanna talk about it-"

"Did David do this?"

"W-What? No! No, he didn't." Pause. "I said I didn't want anyone to know… but I think I trust you… s-so can we go somewhere more private?"

Neil stayed silent for a moment or so, still stunned by his friend's odd behaviour. He looked so hurt… so miserable and lost. It was unsettling.

"Y-Yeah, sure." He helped Max off the ground and offered a small smile, not bothered that he didn't receive one back.


	6. Trust

This talk wasn't what he'd expected.

"Christ… Max, you need to tell someone!" He exclaimed desperately, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder. "T-This is wrong! You can't just ignore it! It's clearly upsetting you!"

Max shook his head angrily. "No! No, Neil, you don't get it! David and Gwen can't do shit because of what went down! David's probably killed them so there's no point going to the police– h-he'll go to prison."

The brunet swallowed thickly. "That man tried to rape you, Max. You're ten."

"So what? I took the bullet for someone else, at least I know that I did some kind of good."

"Fucking listen to yourself!" Neil threw his arms in air in frustration. "You're happy to be rape victim?! Is that it? You're happy that you spent last night in floods of tears, stuck in an endless cycle of trauma and panic as you felt deserving of it? Max, you need to talk to them! Talk to Gwen, talk to David – talk to me! You're so full of shit that I don't even know what you're saying is true or not! You can't seriously think that you deserved all this, can you…?"

The raven fell silent as he stared down at his feet. "I'm sorry Neil…" He muttered coldly as he wiped his eyes roughly with his sleeve. "I didn't mean to make you feel so angry…"

The taller boy sighed. "It's fine… I just want you to slow things down, that's all. You need to tell me slowly and accurately what happened. Then I can help you."

Max cleared his throat as he straightened his posture, scooting closer to his friend. Yawning, he let his head lean against the boy's shoulder and sighed tiredly. Neil chuckled hastily as he looked down at him. "You tired?"

"Mmhm."

"D'you wanna talk about this later, then? When you've got some rest?" The question was rhetorical, despite Max nodding in confirmation. The two sat quietly for a moment or so, both enjoying the comfort of each others' company.

Neil felt sick. After hearing the truth behind Max's bruises he wanted to throw up. His body was tense despite his frequent twitches of anxiety, as well as the apparent sweatiness of his palms. Subconsciously his grip tightened around his friend. There was nothing for him to protect him from… so why the sudden action?

He carefully positioned the raven more comfortably against him and sighed. He hoped that fucker was dead. He really did.

"Neil…?" Max groaned from the brunet's shoulder, fidgeting slightly. "I think I'm ready to talk to you about it more…"

Neil gulped.

"Well, if you wanna talk the go ahead. No one's stopping you, Max. Just say what you can remember."

"I remember – I-I think? – it happened when I was washing m-my hands… I remember him standing next to me, for quite a while actually… and he kept trying to start up a conversation or something like that…" Neil nodded patiently. "He said he was hitchhiking with us and that he rec-recognised m-me from earlier – I must've been asleep. I asked him why he was talking to me, and he said that it would make the journey less awkward… I think he said something about me looking tense? I don't know but whatever he said lead to him trying to give m-m-me a back rub… I swore at him and called him a creep, expecting him to defend himself or at least back off. Guess not, though." He sniffed. "I… I barely remember what happened from then onwards… It hurt a lot when he, he got me in some kind of hold wh-where he had one hand over my mouth, a-and the other was down-d-down… and h-he wouldn't stop and he wouldn't let me go even though I kept fighting s-so th-th-then he kicked m-my legs so they buckled and for the re-re-re-rest of the time we-we were in the st-stall-"

Neil watched as the shorter boy trembled uncontrollably, pretty much breaking down in his arms. He shifted him on to his lap and held him tightly, eyes stinging as he forced back his own tears. "Jesus Christ, Max… Y-You didn't have to have an entire vent-"

Max burried his head into his friend's chest, the sudden flow of tears soaking through his shirt. He sobbed miserably as the elder hugged him protectively, feeling equally as distraught.

"He's gonna be dead, Max. A-And if he's not? Then he better be in prison." Neil told him firmly.

"I'm gonna kill myself, Neil…! I-I'm gonna drown myself in the la—"

"Shut up, Max! Don't say shit like that!" He suddenly yelled, feeling Max tense instantly. "I've never seen you like this and it's not nice, Max! You are not going to die and you are going to fucking listen to me. I know you're upset and I know you're in a lot of pain, but for the love of God stop saying the first things that come out of your mouth! Just… just look at me for a second."

Max inhaled and exhaled heavily as he peeled his face off of the brunet's shirt and sat up straight, looking him tiredly in the eyes. His face was flushed and sweaty, with random hairs sticking to his damp face. Tears stained his cheeks messily as new ones continued to fall silently. He started at Neil blankly, all signs of emotion completely gone.

"You're miserable, Max." He sighed. "You need some rest." He paused. "I'll go and get Gwen to see if she can help you – she does psychology, doesn't she? She knows more than I do."

"I guess so…" He sniffed once more, licking his lips. Quietly he sat up more comfortably on the brunet's lap, wrapping his legs around his waist and his arms over his shoulders. He looked Neil in the eyes with nothing less than gratefulness. Neil hugged him close once more as Max placed his head in the crook of his neck comfortably. "I'm sorry i annoyed you earlier…" He spoke, slightly muffled.

Neil rested his chin on top of the raven's head, smiling to himself. "Don't be sorry… you were just upset, that's all."

"Thanks for talking with me… it… it really helped…"

The elder felt his cheeks heat up. "That's what friends are for, Max. And, uh, thanks for talking to me about it. It's nice to know that you can trust me with things like this…" He sighed. "You will have to explain this all David and Gwen, though. Don't expect me to tell them, either. This is your issue, Max. You need to tell it from your perspective."

"Not yet… later on…" Max scrunched up his face uncomfortably and hissed in pain. "Ah- Fuck-"

"You okay?" Neil pulled him away as his gaze flickered over him in concern. The raven winced and turned away, considerably more pale than before. The brunet watched in horror as Max's eyes rolled back and he collapsed in his arms. "M-Max? Max?! Christ…" He grunted as he awkwardly cradled the small boy and placed him on the floor, chewing his lip as he tried to remember the recovery position. "Out of all the times… had to be here… great…"

"I know a spell to wake him up~"

Neil snapped his head up towards the tent's entrance, growling in annoyance as he was greeted with that oh so familiar smirk. "Not a good time, Harrison. Go be a dick somewhere else."

"What's got Max so upset?" He began questioning, strolling into the tent. "You two seemed quite intimate-"

"Fuck off. First of all - in case you're blind - he's currently passed out! And secondly, for the love of God-"

"I said I knew a spell."

"Go away."

"You're doing it wrong, for a start." Harrison crouched down next to him and began adjusting Max's position. "See, a little help never hurt nobody. I kinda need to know this stuff for when things go wrong in performances. Anyway, whilst I go and find David, I'm sure you wouldn't mind staying here with him? Yes? Okay then." He grinned and patted Neil on the shoulder as he exited the tent.

"Be quick!-" The brunet called. "Please be quick."


	7. Mindless

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! Enjoy!**

* * *

"He…uh… he told me, by the way. A-About the incident, that is." Neil sat awkwardly on the edge of his cot. He watched impatiently as David sat opposite Max on the floor, the raven sitting cross-legged and holding a cold towel on his forehead.

David's eyes widened before narrowing once more as he huffed, licking his lips. "That's, that's good, Neil. Thank you for telling me." He sighed as he turned his attention to Max. "I'm happy that you're trusting people, Max. It's only one person… but that's a good start."

The small boy continued to stare at his feet emotionlessly.

The elder wisely kept his distance. "You need to understand that we're all going to help you, Max." He swallowed thickly, words soft and assuring. "Neil, Gwen and I are the only ones who know, so that means you have a nice group to talk to. Especially Gwen – she knows more than I do so I think you two should sit down at some point."

Max remained silent as David and Neil exchanged glances.

"If it's any reassurance... I did tell Harrison to go away when he tried interfering. As far as he's concerned, you were still dazed from the vomiting thing." Usually the brunet would offer a laugh, or a snarky comment when talking about the magician, but those common antics hadn't even crossed his mind. "People probably think that you're experiencing the backlash of the coffee this morning… probably…"

Max didn't respond.

"Right, listen." David jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "Need to supervise the camp, do my job and such, so if you two want to come out at some point then please do." He sighed, licking his lips. "You can't shut yourself out, Max. It won't help anyone." And with that he stood up, sent Niel and appreciative nod, and left.

Neil swallowed as the elder exited the tent, waiting for the dreaded silence to consume them.

And so it did, very quickly at that.

He felt uncomfortable.

If only he could feel the raven glaring at him, if only he could see him showing any sign of emotion.

He had to say something. Why had he just stopped talking when David had left? Why couldntc e suddenly find the words?–

A sniff.

Slowly he lifted his head to look in the younger boy's direction.

Max stared at the ground with dark eyes. Tears reluctantly began to fall, blurring his vision and causing his lip to quiver. He was trembling violently.

Anxiously Neil inhaled, unsure what to do. He'd already heard Max pour his heart out into a sobbing mess, but this time he couldn't hold him. He didn't really want to touch him, afraid he would lash out – the opposite as to how he had acted previously.

Neil crawled the short distance over to his friend, before going on instinct and embracing the frail boy in his arms.

Max sniffed as he lightly pushed him off. "Don't… Don't t-touch me." He shot him a threatening glare, but ultimately gave up as more tears stung his eyes. "G-Go away."

"I-I want to hug you, Max." The brunet smiled weakly. "You need support–"

"Bullshit… I-I deserved this. You ca-can't change my mind." He stuttered, exhaling shakily.

Neil stared at him. "I want to help y-you, Max."

" _Then fuck me._ " He turned away, fidling with the cuffs of his hoodie.

"Wh-What…?" Neil could feel his heart thumping harder.

"Fuck me. Fuck me right here, right now, Neil." Max stared at him somewhat desperately, wet lips parted. The taller boy looked him up and down, eyes wide. Was he serious?

"No, no, Max. I'm _not_ gonna do that." He tried to keep his voice firm, but he couldn't hide his worry.

"It's the only thing I'm good for, Neil." Max whispered. Neil's stare turned from shock to horror.

"Max…" His gaze softened slightly. "Max, you can't say that-"

"I'm going." He sucked in a sharp breath as he slowly rose to his feet, staring down at the older boy. "Don't follow me. _Please_." He wiped his eyes harshly with the cuff of his sleeve, shuddering as he dragged his feet to the tent's opening. "I'm sorry if I scared you… see you around…"


	8. Three seconds

**Didn't get too many reviews on the last chapter so just a reminder that reviews are greatly appreciated! I reading them, so yeah, I just thought I'd remind you guys about that.**

 **TW: This chapter does mention suicide/suicidal thoughts.**

* * *

Sighing, the boy returned his phone into his back pocket, hands once again being stuffed into his hoodie.

The cool breeze whipped through his hair slightly, threatening to mess it up even more. Some would say it was calming or peaceful.

The raven didn't agree, however.

 _"I'm gonna kill myself, Neil…! I-I'm gonna drown myself in the lake-!"_

Max peered downwards over the edge of the small cliff, his reflection staring back at him with dead, emotionless eyes.

The temptation to 'accidentally' lose his footing and fall in was quickly becoming an obsession, whether he liked it or not. The idea of balling up his socks and using them as a gag to make the process easier. The thought of someone only finding his sneakers at the cliff edge.

 _Wishful thinking._

He lowered himself so he was sat with his legs dangling over the edge, reaching to his left to grab a lone rock. He outstretched his arm and dropped it, watching intently as it hit the water below with a splash.

Took three seconds for it to disappear under.

 _Three seconds._

Three seconds for everything to sort itself out.

For _Max_ to sort himself out.

He let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding, grimacing at the thought that he was doubting himself.

Carefully he crawled away from the small, yet deadly drop, and leant his back up against the nearest tree, pulling his knees up to his chest and begining to untie his shoe laces.

He couldn't go back now.

Finally something had tipped him over and he wasn't going to ignore it.

"Going for a swim, then?"

Brows furrowed, Max snapped his head upwards.

Edward towered over him with a curious smirk plastered on his lips, arms folding over his chest.

"No."

The redhead huffed at the blunt answer, taking a moment to step back and look side to side. "You're pretty far away from your shit-hole, Maxwell–"

"Why are you here." Max grunted, removing his right shoe and starting to untie the left one.

"I got lost. Well, not _really_. I was sent to fetch rocks, but I got bored and walked here." He stated plainly, shooting the younger a confused glance. "What the hell are you doing?"

The raven offered a bitter laugh as he pushed both shoes aside, wasting no time to pull off his socks and start balling them up together. "What do you think?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "That's why I'm asking you, dumbass."

Max slowly rose to his feet and stretched his arms above his head. He began a steady walk towards the edge, fiddling with the makeshift gag in his hands. He took another glance at the water and pointed downwards. "I'm going to step off the cliff and drown." He pursed pursed his lips into a smile, as if it were obvious. " _Purposefully_ , of course."

Edward licked his lips. His expression turned from confused, to shocked, to oddly protective. " _Whoa_! Hey, that's a- that's _not_ a good idea–!" He went to grab the boy's arm but suddenly stepped back, clearly conflicted about what to do. "That's a bold answer. You're not serious, right–?"

"I _have_ to do it. It's the only way–"

"Only way for what?" The elder threatened to raise his voice to shout, fists clenching at his sides. "Give me a fucking decent reason as to why you should kill yourself!"

Max could see the worry in his eyes. Usually they would be at each other's throats, but on the rare occasion they would get along quite well. Pikeman only showed this kind of emotion towards either Gwen or to himself… so why was he being so desperate with Max?

"You really wanna know?"

"Fuc- _Yes_! Of course I do, Max! Fucking tell me!"

The raven stepped closer to him and away from the edge. He met Edward with tired eyes. Wincing, he dropped the sock gag onto the ground and pulled his hoodie over his head dumped it at his feet, letting out a shuddering breath. He watched as the redhead's eyes widened as they scanned over the child's arms and lower neck.

" _Bruises_ …?" He whispered, his voice slightly hoarse. He sent the younger a glance of confirmation as he went to touch him, and when Max nodded, he cautiously pulled down the collar of the yellow, trademark Camp Campbell shirt. Hickies and the occasional bite mark scattered over his prominent collar bones, Max biting his lip uncomfortably. Pikeman finally met his timid stare after what felt like forever. It was obvious that he was struggling for words, but his expression said everything.

"I'm ruining people's lives." The raven grimaced.

Edward shook his head almost angrily, carefully pulling the shorter boy into his embrace. "I'm sorry, Max…" Max hastily wrapped his arms around his waist. He'd cried out all his tears earlier that day, so he just nuzzled awkwardly into the Wood Scout's torso, reluctantly drowning in the much-needed silence.


	9. Overwhelmed

"It's not like you to suddenly be so… soft." Max sniffed, peeling his face off the now damp shirt he was pressed into.

Edward pursed his lips as he flushed slightly, tilting his head downwards to lock eyes with him. He licked his lips. "You…uh, you– Max, I'm trying to help you."

"I've had cuddles already, ya know. I do get some love at the camp."

"So they know?"

"David, Gwen and Neil. No one else." His tone grew more stern. "I-I'm not telling anyone else."

The redhead looked upwards, almost frustratedly. "Keep it that way." He advised. "I've seen how your camp reacts to important info. They spread it like wild fire. You don't want that."

Nodding hastily, Max everted his gaze, opting to stare intently at the cliff's edge some more. If it wasn't for Pikeman, the irritable sack of shit, he'd most likely be dead.

The problem was, however, that Max wasn't sure whether that was better than his current situation.

He would never know.

"What…" The younger flickered his eyes between the cliff and Edward, contemplating. "What would you of done… if you found me in the lake? Like, half-dead or something?"

Edward's brows instantly furrowed upon hearing the question, clearly taken off guard. He swallowed. "I'd pull you out of course? Max, I'm not heartless–"

"You're a Woodscout."

"Hm, yeah, and you're a ten year old with suicidal tendencies." He retorted sarcastically as his arms folded over his chest. "I would try my fucking best to save your life, dipshit. Hell, I'd even fucking perform mouth-to-mouth if it meant keeping you alive. Just because we aren't close doesn't mean we can't look out for each other." His hands suddenly gripped the raven's shoulders, causing him to wince slightly at the abrupt action. "Normally I'd assume that it was just your average routine of testing out suicide attempts… but after what you've just came out with – a-about the disgusting reason for this recent trauma – It's just adding a shit tonne more fuel to your fire, Max. I know you're fucked already, but this whole ordeal has effectively pushed you over."

Silence.

Max stared up at him, eyes wide and breaths quickening. So much was going through his head at once.

He let out a shuddered breath.

"F-F-Fuck…" He carefully shook off the elder's hands and stepped backwards, crouching down to quickly retrieve his fallen hoodie. His eyes darted up and down Edward almost frantically. The redhead watched him, eyes filled with a mix of guilt and confusion. Max shot him a painfully unsure glance, emerald eyes becoming glassy. "D-Don't follow me. P-Please."

And with that he ran.

Out of eyeshot almost instantly as he disappeared into the forest, Pikeman sighing to himself as his shoulders slumped.

The kid's socks and shoes were still here, meaning he'd ran off bare footed.

Was he that troubled and desperate to get away?

* * *

"Hey, David?" Nikki raised her hand. "Why do we need to know this?"

The redhead licked his lips nervously. "W-Well it's always useful to be reminded on Stranger Danger, isn't it?"

"I guess so." She looked up in thought for a moment before returning her focus back to the counsilor. "What happens if you can't get away from the stranger? What do you do then?"

David exchanged glances when Gwen, who was leant against the wall observing the talk. If she were to get involved she'd most likely have a breakdown, so she opted not to say much. "That won't ever happen." He stated firmly, fully aware of the death stare he was shot by Neil. "And if it does happen, then shout for help. You can't just freeze up–"

"And what if you _do_ freeze up?"

Everyone turned to look at the mess hall's entrance, the two councilors unsure what to do. Max calmly made his way over to his friends, right at David's feet, and sat down, staring up at the man blankly.

"It's nice for you to join us, Max! We were starting to get worried about your whereabouts." He smiled brightly.

"I went to the lake."

"Oh, okay. Well you're here now–!"

"We're talking about Stranger Danger!" Nikki tugged on the raven's arm as she yelled, grinning.

" _Great._ "

"Why don't you kids fill Max in?" Gwen offered, her expression not near as happy as David's. She looked drained and tired, as if she hadn't slept properly. She was shaking as well, most likely because of her pills. She was clearly bored, and not impressed with David at all.

 _"Don't listen to dodgy people!"_

 _"If they offer you sweets ignore them!"_

 _"Don't get into a person's car!"_

 _"Don't see their dog!"_

 _"If you get touched you have to do something–"_

 _"Defend yourself!"_

Neil instinctively placed his hand on his friends hand upon hearing the last shouts, his eyes widening as he turned to him in concern. Max swallowed thickly as his eyes became glassy, turning to keep his composure. "Hey…" The taller boy whispered. "Calm down, Max… It's okay…"

Max nodded slowly, not wanting to bring attention to himself in such a vulnerable state.

"It's too stuffy in here. I'm going outside for a bit." Gwen stated suddenly, quickly walking outside and closing the door behind her.

"What's up with her, then?" Nerf questioned loudly. "It's not like she's been raped." He paused. " _Has_ she been raped?"

" _Raped?_ " David stammered. "I don't think that's very appropriate, Nerf. And _no_ , no she hasn't."

"Then what's her deal? It's not stuffy in here, Max came in through an already open door–"

"Nerf, if you have an actually beneficial question, ask that."

"I've got nothin', then."

"Okay, that's alright. Does anyone else have any questions?" He looked over the small crowd, avoiding Max's staring at all costs. No one raised their hands. "No more–?"

"Hey, are you two, like, gay, or something?!" Nikki cocked her head at Max and Neil, the brunet fully aware that his face was heating up in embarrassment. The shorter of the two then realised how long they'd been holding hands for and pulled his hand onto his lap, his cheeks heating up aslo.

"N-No!" Neil stuttered. "Why would you–"

"Max was sitting on your lap earlier. Don't deny it, Neil~!"

"Harrison, shut it!"

Max groaned as he held his head face down in his hands, trying to block everything out. He had not seen this coming.

David just stood there in confusion, unsure what in the world to do. "H-Hey, kids, that's not very nice!"

"If you're gay I don't care, Max." Nikki assured, clearly just as overwhelmed by the uproar. "I didn't mean for it to be offensive or anything…"

"I'm… I'm not gay…" His head was hurting. "It's bullshit…"

"You two were talking about fucking each other!" Harrison suddenly shouted.

It was at this point Neil had given up on fighting with words. Quickly he leapt up and made a dash for the magician, not before being firmly held back by David's hand on his shoulder. "Hey. No violence–"

"That's rich coming from you." He snapped back under his breath, watching as the redhead ultimately drowned in his own guilt. "Max told me about the stabbing."

"Neil–"

"All you fuckers out! Now!" Gwen swung open the door forcefully as she re-entered the mess hall. "It's getting late! Go sit in ya tents for a bit!"

And with that the campers bolted out the hall, Harrison gladly sticking up his middle finger as he disappeared outside. Once the majority of children had left she turned to David, who simply shook his head. "We messed up."

Her eyes fell onto the three campers sat on the floor. Nikki was staring at Max in concern, chewing her lip. "He keeps saying his head hurts."

"Probably because of you spouting out shit." Neil retorted angrily, rubbing the raven's back comfortingly. "You've got him all worked up."

"Wait, what happened? All I heard was shouting." Gwen muttered.

David sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nikki asked of the boys were gay, and then Harrison got involved, which lead to everyone throwing around accusations… it wasn't very pleasant."

"Yeah, no shit." Neil pointed his finger harshly at them, brows narrowed. "If it weren't for your shit show of a lecture, none of this would've happened."

"Neil, we understand that–"

"You're both shit." He stated coldly.


	10. Unexpected

**Heads up, this chapter does involve some gory description but nothing major.**

 **Review and enjoy!**

* * *

"Where are you shoes, Max?" Nikki questioned, cocking her head to the side.

Max sighed tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. "I dunno. Probably at the lake or something." He fetched a new pair of socks and put them on, making sure to dust off his feet before hand. "Why?"

"Just wondering." She watched intently as the boy slid off the edge of his cot and over to the coffee maker, staring at his mug blankly as it was filled. "I swear you literally threw up from drinking too much coffee this morning–?"

"I'm tired." He stated flatly and took a sip off his drink, the hot steam causing his cheeks to flush at the heat. "I didn't sleep last night."

"Well you could sleep now." Nikki chimed, pointing at her friend's cot.

"My sleeping schedule is fucked as it is, Nikki. Didn't sleep at all last night. It sucked." Max, instead of returning to his cot, opted to sit on the ground with his back against the thick log, on which the Mrs. Coffee was placed upon, legs pulled up to his chest and coffee mug balanced on his knees, carefully drinking it.

She looked him up and down suspiciously. "I guess that's one way to get comfy."

Max hummed in response.

"You're not usually this zoned out, Max–"

"I told you, I couldn't sleep properly."

"That's because of all the coffee, silly!" She offered an assuring smile. "If I were you I'd put that down and get to bed! You don't wanna be all drained tomorrow, now, do ya?"

"Doesn't make a difference if I am." The raven murmured lowly, still staring emotionlessly at his mug. "Don't worry about me, okay. Go and find Neil or something."

"Gosh, you're really depressed aren't you? Where's 'scheming' Max, _huh?_ Where's he gone?"

"I'd tell you if I knew." His tone was lowered darkly as he met the green haired girl's gaze. "I'm _fine_ , Nikki. Quit worrying."

"Are you sure–?"

"Yes, Nikki!" He snapped, slamming the coffee mug down on the ground harshly. "Fucking for God's sake! I'm fine! Jesus Christ!"

Nikki blinked, speechless. That was quite an outburst. "I–"

"You alright, Max?!" Neil suddenly skidded into the tent. " _Max?_ "

"He's cranky cuz he can't sleep properly." She explained flatly. "I said he should quit the coffee but he ain't listening."

Neil turned to his friend sat on the floor. "He can't sleep properly…?" His stare softened considerably. It had only happened the previous night… so no wonder. "Why don't you try sleeping now–?"

"Already tried that." Nikki stated. "He's staying put."

"I'll sleep when it's night time, okay?" Huffing, the raven folded his arms over his chest. "It's not a big deal."

"You're on the ground, Max." Neil stared at him bluntly. "You're on the ground, drinking coffee, going on about your fatigue… in your socks. I'd say that's a pretty big deal, considering that's something Gwen would do. And Gwen isn't that stable, now, is she?"

" _I'm_ not stable." Max whispered as he chugged some of his coffee, eyes half lidded and tired. "I'll never be stable, Neil, and _you_ _know it…"_

Nikki narrowed her brows in confusion as she leaned forwards slightly. "What's that s'posed to mean?"

The two boys suddenly locked stares, Neil considerably more startled than Max. "I, uh, it doesn't matter, Nikki–" He laughed nervously as he took hold of her hand tightly. "C'mon! Let, uh, let's go see if Ered wants to show us some tricks, yeah?"

"Really?!" Nikki beamed. "Let's go! See ya, Max!" And with that she dashed out of the tent, Neil following close behind, grateful for the small "thanks" whispered by Max as they left.

He watched as his friends disappeared outside, leaving him with his own thoughts.

It wasn't very pleasant.

He slipped at his coffee slowly, as if it would distract him from the darkness fogging his brain.

"Oh, _uh_ , hi there, Max…"

The raven looked up and at the tent's entrance, deciding not to speak.

"I-I know you're mad at me for what I said," Harrison rubbed his arm uncomfortably, avoiding the short boy's stare. "A-And I know that it was disrespectful, so I just wanna apologize. It was wrong and unkind."

"David told you to apologize didn't he?"

" _Yeahhhhh."_ He offered an assuring smile, nonetheless. "But in hindsight I do realize that it was, _uh_ , it was kinda shitty… I guess it was mainly cuz Neil and I aren't the best of friends? I guess I acted out on that? I'm not sure."

Max placed his nearly empty mug down on the ground next to him. "Thanks to you I'm pretty certain everyone thinks Neil and I fucked. I'd say that's more than " _kinda shitty_ "." He retorted lowly.

"B-But you _asked_ him to fuck you? If it helps I went away for a bit cuz that really put me off my eavesdropping–"

"How much did you hear?"

"What?"

"How much of our conversations did you hear?" He couldn't let his paranoia show.

"Only that! W-Why? Is there _context_ , or were you just sexually frustrated–? I'm not judging–" The magician stammered, raising his hànds in surrender as he backed away slightly.

"If I were you I'd just be quiet." Max stared up at the boy threateningly.

Harrison pursed his lips into a nervous smile as he nodded. "You're quite intimidating, you know that right?" He laughed half-heartedly as he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. 'But you're still miserable at the same time. It's weird."

"What do you mean?"

"I get that I upset you today, but you seemed pretty dark before that anyways. During David's talk you just looked like you were gonna start _crying_."

Max barely held back the short gasp that he came out with. He swallowed thickly. "Well you're wrong–"

"Was it a _personal_ issue?" He watched as Harrison carefully sat down opposite him on the ground, crossing his legs comfortably. "I know you're cynical and jaded and all that, it's kinda your only personality trait… you just looked more depressed than usual."

"It's none of your business." The raven mumbled. "Go away–"

"Someone _hurt you_ , didn't they–?"

" _No! Fuck off, Harrison!_ " Max snapped suddenly as he slammed the mug forcefully onto the ground, inhaling sharply as the mug shattered abruptly. Harrison let his mouth fall open as the pile pieces of the mug soon became smeared in fresh blood. The boy's now cut up hand violently shook as he let go of the handle he still had held tightly in his gasp, letting out a shuddered breath. He was breathing heavily as he just stared at his hand in horror, the entire extremity now a bloody mess.

The two just sat in a silence.

It had happened so fast.

"W-We need David or Gwen… o-or _both_ …" He whispered, completely take aback. He could tell that Max was struggling to stay conscious, he clearly hadn't expected this to happen either.

The raven nodded slowly, using his left hand to hold his injured hand steady.

"H-Hold it up as high as you can, okay?" Harrison instructed. "If you do that it should make less blood come out." He shuffled over, minding the broken mug, and helped him into a better position, grimacing all the while. The cuff of Max's hoodie was now a deep maroon, resulting in the transfer of blood onto the magician's white gloves. He let go experimentally, wincing as the hand went limp again. "Y-You're gonna have to hold it up–!" He could feel his heart thumping quicker in his chest. This was definitely a first. "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _Max_ , I didn't mean for this to happen, I'm _so_ sorry–"

"I-I'm going to Gwen and David…" The shorter boy carefully got to his feet, slightly unsteady. His hoodie was now sporting a large smear of blood across the chest, as well as some splotches on the other sleeve. Harrison quickly stood up, unsure what to do, as Max was already dragging his feet to the tent's opening.

"I-I can call them! I can get them–!"

" _No_." He strained, the corner of his eyes pricking with tears. "I don't want a-anymore attention… just… just fuck off…"

"I can't–"

"I said _fuck off!_ " Max growled through gritted teeth, using his uninjured hand to stick up his middle finger. "I'm fine, okay? J-Just cuz there's blood d-doesn't mean it's life threatening. If you really wanna help go make yourself dis-disappear–"

" _Jesus Christ!_ "

The two looked outside curiously, stepping out of tent slightly. Preston pointed at them sharply, his other hand covering his mouth. "Max, what did you do?!"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" He yelled, clutching his hand closer to his chest. "Don't worry, dammit."

"He cut up his hand on a broken mug." Harrison explained. "Nothing to worry about–"

"B-But he's _bleeding…!_ " Preston gestured to the ground beneath them. "It's dripping!"

Max chanced a look at the dirt. " _Oh_. Thanks for sharing." He glared at him darkly. "Leave me alone. I-I'm fine, go away."

"I can get the councelors–"

"I said go away–!"

"Too late." Harrison muttered, stepping back as Gwen ran into the scene.

 _"Max, what the fuck!"_


	11. All bottled up

Gwen, second aid kit in hand, skidded onto the ground at the campers' feet and clicked open the small box. "Give me your fucking hand, Max."

Without hesitation he stuck out his hand, grimacing as the elder's gaze dropped. "Is it bad?"

"Fuck off. You know it's bad." She muttered sternly, trying to ignore the sharp inhales from the child as she examined the hand. "Preston give me that stump."

Anxiously, yet quickly, Preston picked up a small tree stump and dumped it next to her.

"Sit." She ordered as Max carefully perched himself on the stump. "Lucky for you there doesn't appear to be any pieces stuck inside, just some cuts."

The raven swallowed thickly as he nodded. "So that's good…?"

"No, Max, no it's not." Her tone was harsh but her eyes sent the boy sympathy. "You'll probably need stitches–"

"Hell no." He retracted his hand rapidly.

Gwen sighed. "Hand." She smiled when he outstretched his arm again. "Thanks. I need to clean this now, okay? It's gonna hurt like a bitch but you'll have to deal with it."

"I–"

"Be glad that David isn't the one doing this. He's taken the others out on a walk or something like that." Her brows narrowed suddenly as she looked at the other two campers. "What are you two doing here, then?"

"David said I had to apologize to Max for earlier…"

"I have some scripts that need checking over."

"Well it's a good thing you two were here." The brunette spoke. "Max should be very grateful."

"He told us to fuck off." Harrison muttered. "I offered to get you–"

"I was fine. I am fi-ah shit!" His eyes widened as pain shot from his hand. "What was that for?! Fuck!"

"I'm cleaning it. You need to roll up your sleeve." She went to pull up the child's sleeve but her hand was smacked away. "Max what the hell! You're not helping!"

"Don't, okay." His breathes had quickened as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, lowering his voice. "Don't."

"Max, you really should–"

"It's fine, Harrison." Gwen held up her hand to silence him. She looked Max in the eyes. "Later you're going to go to the counselors cabin and we're gonna talk."

"Now that I think about it… Why aren't we doing this in the cabin in the first place?" Preston interjected.

Gwen began unrolling some bandages. "Because out here I don't risk getting blood on anything. David would freak out."

"But you would have a good excuse–"

"We're outside now, though, aren't we? I appreciate the help, Preston, but it's fine." She finished bandaging up his hand and carefully let go, grimacing at the blood smearing over her fingers. "You should be alright for now. If it starts bleeding badly just shout." Her lips pursed into a half-hearted smile. "Please stop hurting yourself, Max. It's stressful."

Max swallowed thickly. "It's hard, though." His voice cracked slightly as he tried to hold back his emotions, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes as he kept his stare firmly down at his hand.

Preston and Harrison exchanged glances. "Is this like a regular thing, or…–?"

"Oh hey, Max! Gosh, you really missed out!"

Max snapped his eyes upwards to look over Gwen's shoulder as they widened. Everyone was back.

Nikki grinned brightly as she approached the four, hands covered in dirt. "Oh damn, what happened to you?"

"His mug broke." Harrison spoke up. "Nothing serious–"

"Fucking hell! Max, what–"

"Broken mug." The green haired girl interjected, watching as a very panicked Neil crouched down next to Gwen in from of his friend. "What the hell is wrong with you!" He hissed.

"It was an accident. Calm down, Neil–"

"You're covered in blood!" He looked at the others. "Y-You're _all_ covered in blood!"

"Harrison tried helping me. Then Gwen came over. It's not that hard to understand–" His voice was lowered. "Don't make a scene."

"I'm worried, Max–"

"Yeah, well stop." He spat. "Why the fuck can't people understand that I'm fine? I'm not a fucking baby."

Gwen grimaced at the harshness of the boy's words. She sighed and stood up. "Everyone go and do something, aside from loitering around here! It isn't serious so don't waste your time!"

It wasn't long before the campers had disappeared off to do their activities, leaving Max, Gwen and David alone.

David had yet to speak. He just stood next to Gwen, staring at the raven blankly.

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I didn't do it on purpose, I swear…" Max whispered, looking down.

"We know, Max." Gwen's voice had softened considerably. "We just wanna know why it happened."

He inhaled shakily, his injured hand twitching slightly. "I… I was angry. Harrison kept saying all this shit to me…" Sniffing, Max lifted his head to look at the two miserably. "He said I was acting weird in the lecture… a-and that I looked like I was gonna start crying– _how does someone even pick up on that?_ "

Gwen knew that that was an honest question, and not just for effect. He was genuinely confused.

"He asked if it was a 'personal issue'."

"And then you snapped…?" Her only reply was a slow nod. She felt sick.

Max winced as he tried to hold back the tears, but unfortunately he didn't succed. He tried to control his breathing but it just made things worse as he held his head in his uninjured hand and sobbed quietly. "I'm so f-fucking tired…! My-My head hurts so much and nothings going r-right…!"

The counselors exchanged glances. Max would never show any weakness this openly.

Was this rock bottom?

David slowly got down on one knee and rubbed the child's shoulder assuringly. He was suddenly met with wet emerald eyes and a tear stained face as Max trembled. He didn't know what to say.

"None of this is your fault, okay?" Talk about déjà vu.

"I can't think straight-!" Max groaned, quieting down somewhat. "I-I-I–"

"You need sleep, Max." David spoke softly, yet firmly. "I don't care how long it takes you, but you need a decent sleep. All that coffee this morning isn't helping." He offered a small smile. "I get that you're in a dark place right now… you just need to calm down. You'll feel so much better after a nap."

"You can take my bed, actually." Gwen spoke up, her voice flat and drained. "I'll just go in David's room or something."

Max shuddered as he looked at her. He was terrifed. "Okay."


	12. Mr Honey Nuts

Neil stared blankly at the pile of broken mug pieces on the floor, the councelors taking priority over Max's hand instantly of discarding of tje potential hazard.

He wasn't complaining, though.

The pile was all pushed together anyways, so he could easily just step over it or walk around it. That wasn't what was bothering him, however. The blood was still there. Max's blood.

They couldn't do anything to clean it up, because, well, it was on dirt, meaning that they couldn't really just scrub it off.

Max was in one of the councelor cabins, leaving the tent oddly quiet. Usually after lights out, they would talk about their feelings, and sometimes very dark shit. It was standard protocol for them. However, because Gwen, David and Max had gotten back much later than anticipated last night, Neil was long asleep and wasn't awake for Max's return.

He wondered what would've happened if he had been awake.

Max would most likely of dragged his feet to his cot, sat in silence for a while, and then cry himself to sleep. He wondered whether Max had tried waking him up, in a desperate effort to vent without worrying about his 'reputation'.

He would never know.

He wasn't sure whether Max trusting him was a blessing or a curse. He was there for Max when he needed to cry, but was also plagued with having to keep this disgusting event a secret. The boy was jaded enough as it is, so watching his friend go even more downhill mentally wasn't very assuring.

Max was probably asleep now, in the comfy, way-too-big-for-him bed. It was about time that he got a decent night's sleep.

Huffing, Neil fidgeted slightly to get comfortable, pulling the blanket over him, taking one last look at the fire before closing his eyes.

 _Wait what._

The brunet shot up in his cot, the orange haze barely visible through the material of the tent. The smell was only just starting to grow, so no one had probably realised yet. Quickly, but carefully, he shuffled to the tent's opening, poking his head out into the open.

Someone had lit the bonfire.

"What the…?" He squinted into the darkness, trying to see anyone that could be held responsible. Aside from the small, but growing fire, everywhere was pitch black. And kinda cold.

He shivered, tempted to go over to the fire and warm up, but he knew better than that. He watched it, stepping forwards cautiously. He knew it was a trap, or a prank. Maybe Nurf had thought it would be funny? Maybe Quartermaster was summoning the devil? He didn't know.

He should get the councelors.

Still slightly confused, he spun on his heel, turning in the direction of the cabins, but stopped abruptly.

The pointed end of the candy cane threatened to pierce his chest as he locked eyes with the intruder. Snake stared up at him with narrowed brows. "Don't move."

Wood Scout raid number two.

Neil then remembered what had happened to Max that one time involving Snake. He nodded and didn't move, eyes darting about curiously. "Why are you here?" He hissed, making sure to keep his voice down. "Why don't you blow up the camp like last time?"

"We needed you out of your tent." He glanced at the fire. "If anyone else comes out then we'll start with the bombs."

"Oh." Neil muttered. He then paused. "Wait, why do you need me out my tent?"

Snake seemed to tense up slightly. "We want the bear."

"Again? W-Why?"

"Pikeman says he needs it." His eye shifted to look at the tent. "Where's the bear, Neil? Cuz when I checked it wasn't in there."

"I don't know." He did know. He'd watched Max carry it into the cabin with him earlier on. "Just fuck off."

"No. Pikeman wants that bear." The candy cane was jabbed at his chest harshly. "His orders."

Neil rolled his eyes. "What's he going to do with a stuffed bear–?"

"Good job, Snake." Suddenly the redhead approached them, casting Neil a smug glance. He was in his standard WoodScout uniform, but the sleeves were rolled up messily. His hands looks wet, but the was probably because of the bottles of water he was holding. "I couldn't find the bear."

Snake narrowed his brows in confusion. "Is that good?"

"No." He stated bluntly and brushed past the two, emptying the water onto the fire as it began to die down. "But that doesn't matter. We can go now."

The shorter WoodScout looked back and forth between him and Neil. "What about–"

"He won't say anything." Edward's tone tone was surprising serious. "Will you?"

Neil shook his head. "No? All you did was light a fire, talk a load of shit, and then put it out? There's nothing to say."

The redhead smirked and patted his shoulder. "Good." He then clicked his fingers and laughed boldly. "C'mon, Snake! Petrol will be waiting for us in the boat!"

Snake nodded. "Yes, Sir." He watched as Edward marched off, before looking back up at Neil. "Nice talkin' to ya, Neil. See ya."

* * *

Edward had lied.

He had found the bear.

He'd found the bear and used it in the worst way possible.

It was duct taped by its arms and legs to the door of the mess hall, legs spread apart so he could spray paint a dick between them, pointing at the bear's crotch.

The Quartermaster had found the crude display doing his morning rounds of making sure no camper had ran off into the forest.

Everyone stood at stared it, some laughing and some utterly confused.

No one knew really what to make of it.

David had taken one look at it and nearly thrown up, forcing himself to look away.

"Hey, Max!" Nurf barked snarkily as he watched the final camper walked over, Gwen following close behind, pointing at the stuffed bear. "I didn't know your bear was a fag!"

Max's brows narrowed in confusion as he cocked his head, looking up at the door. His eyes widened as his breath became laboured. "Wh-Who the fuck…? Who did that?" He tried to keep his composure but he could feel everyone staring at him intensely.

"It's pretty fucking funny." Nurf commented, snorting. "Classy."

Max shook his head. "It's my fucking bear-!" He was panicking now. "W-Why would someone– why would someone do that…?!"

Gwen was quick to squat down and keep him upright so he didn't fall over, his body starting to tremble. "Hey, hey, Max, calm down-" She stared at David desperately. "Fucking take it down, then!"

David sucked in a deep breath as he nodded, frantically peeling off the tape and letting the bear fall to the ground at his feet. He stared at it for a moment, trying to distract himself, until Nikki spoke up loudly.

"Oh! Writing!" She grinned. "Max is a sl…" She trailed off, before letting out a snort of laughter, grinning at her friend. "Haha! That's you!"

Everyone's eyes flickered the words hidden underneath the bear.

 _MAX IS A SLUT_ was written in black marker for all the campers to see.

"Which one of you shitheads did this?!" Gwen snapped, still holding Max steady.

Nurf was still laughing, but was harshly punched in the arm by Ered, her usually 'cool' expression thrown out the window as she looked genuinely… _uncomfortable._

Neil raised his hand slowly. "T-The Wood Scouts were here last night." He cast a glance down at Mr HoneyNuts. "They were looking for the bear. Pikeman wanted it for something."

Gwen felt Max go limp in her arms, the boy having passed out instantly. "Why the fuck didn't you tell anyone?"

"H-He said he couldn't find it!" Neil stammered, not liking the councelor's tone. "They must've came back once I was asleep again–"

"I'm gonna kill that fucking kid." She muttered sinisterly. Carefully she adjusted Max so he was latched onto her and stood up, carrying him close to her chest protectively. "This is shitty, kids. Even if you think it's funny, it's not. It's fucking teddy bear and a sick, vile joke. If I catch any of you campers giving Max shit for this then you'll be on cleaning duty for as long as I want."

David shifted his eyes anxiously between Gwen and the campers, coughing lightly into his fist. "Gwen, uh, Gwen is correct. Don't bring this up. It isn't good–"

"Are you actually gonna kill Pikeman?" Nikki chirped, clearly not really understanding the severity of the situation. She was one of the younger kids, however, so she couldn't be blamed.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Maybe."

* * *

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